In this morning's State of the State address, the Governor
said he will "protect education funding" in the budget he will present on Friday. In
doing so, he acknowledged that investing in education is an investment in the
future.
It is imperative that additional cuts not be imposed on schools or children's programs in this year's budget. In the past two years, $17 billion has been cut
from school budgets, cuts that are disproportionate to those made in other
program areas of the state budget. Additional cuts to social services have
added to the budget burden borne by our state's children and families.
We are encouraged by the Governor's initial message about the budget, and we will begin analyzing the details of his proposal on Friday when it is released. The needs of California's children and families are great, and we will be diligent in holding the Governor to his commitment to protect funding.
We all know that this year's
budget will require tough choices. But it also gives our legislators the
opportunity to do something brave and rare - to put the next generation above
the next election.
We will be watching the budget process unfold in the coming
days and months. Among the points to keep in mind as this occurs are the
following.
Any
additional cuts to education and children's health and social
services programs will only dig our state deeper into the hole we
need to climb out of, and delay our economic recovery.
As
tough as times are, a balanced approach that includes additional revenues is the only responsible way to tackle the state's
deficit.
New
cuts to schools would run counter to educational policy reforms being advanced
by the Governor and legislators as part of the state's application for federal
Race to the top (RTTT) funds. We really can't race to the top in education if
we sink to the bottom in our investment in children.
Investing
in education is an effective investment in the future. A recent RAND Institute
report underscores the significant taxpayer benefits of a highly educated
citizenry in increases income-tax revenues to the state and decreased state
expenditures on support services and incarceration.
Californians
understand the connection between investment and performance. According to a
survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, 65 percent of
Californians believe that additional funding for education would lead to higher
quality.
Race to the Top update
Two bills that are part of the state's application for
federal Race to the Top (RTTT) funds were headed to the senate floor today. California State PTA has been actively involved in informing the legislative debate about Race to the Top.
While we did not take a formal position on the final bills
because they were completely amended on Monday night, we have fully supported California's
intention to submit a competitive application for RTTT funds. We believe the opportunity to develop such an application has
focused much-needed dialogue on key education reforms that can benefit
students, such as improving the state's data system, recruiting and retaining
excellent educators and school leaders, and turning around chronically
underperforming schools. The legislation expected to be signed into law
helps advance these goals.
Because the funding available through Race to the
Top is one-time only, we urge state legislators and the Governor to make no
further state budget cuts to education and children's programs in the coming
year, to further demonstrate the state's commitment to strengthening our public
education system and California's most vulnerable population.
To read some key points on RTTT, click here.
We will continue to follow these issues and
others that are crucial to the well-being of all of California's children.
Visit our website to learn more, at www.capta.org.